Gramps

My grandad is currently in Tan Tock Seng's ICU, lying on a bed with machines all over him. He's living off the machine for now.

He's 80 plus years of age, a thin tall but good looking person. In his days, he must have been a great person, because my mom, uncles and aunties are all wonderful people. He has 8 children altogether, and bringing up that many in his time was certainly no easy feat. Gramps used to ride off his little scooter to work in the wee hours of the morning and stayed hard at work til the evening to reunite with his family at the dinner table. Days were rough and the food on the meal table was always minimal, but sufficient for a hearty, healthy family. A warm little house in Toa Payoh that never lacked liveliness, laughter and love.

Once when I was toddler, I lived in that compelling abode. A child with naught but curious mischief, I spent the second year of my life amongst those concrete walls called home. Gramps, who loves children with an undivided heart, once pushed me on my little stroller through the playgrounds in Toa Payoh - everyday. Even at the age of 23, I can vividly remember the sound of children's laughter as we played on the sand, whilst gramps patiently sat at a corner watching me with his ever vigilent eyes.

In days of youth, with lively vigor, we soon forget to treasure the deepest things which we once clung to. With that, the days of living with gramps seemed like a passing moment in a dream carted by the engine of time. And now we stand, a broken man wishing time had returned for us to make amends. A simple word of thanks, or the humble sound of an apology makes the language of love a resounding melody in the hearts of its hearers. Time is unforgiving, and thank you's oft too late for gramps can hear no more than the sound of his own faint heartbeat, his eyes now too heavy to open.

Upon the star I wish tonight, the God will uphold gramps with His righteous right hand. The embrace of the Heavenly Father shall warm the heart of gramps to rest tonight. I pray for peace within, and upon myself. I love you gramps, and I know God loves you too.